hadn’t been so stubbornly determined…”
“To do what? To do what we were supposed to do?” Tresten asked.
“I just don’t see how you can complain about food when it’s your own fault we’re eating so late,” Rylek said between mouthfuls.
“It’s a necessary conflict of interests.”
Rylek shook his head in disbelief. “Still trying to win at something, huh? Well, what goes around comes back around and bites you in the stomach, apparently.” he said.
Selenor looked at Lana. “Uh-oh! Looks like we know who won their little game tonight,” she said.
Lana smiled and stood up from the table. She picked up the bowl filled with bread, walked over to Tresten, and placed another roll on his plate. “Some bread to sop up your pride, good sir?” she asked with a snobbish formal air.
Selenor erupted into a fit of giggles. Rylek looked quickly down at his plate to hide any smile that might be attempting to crack on his face.
Tresten paused for a few seconds, and then took the entire bread bowl. “I require a lot of sopping,” he said with a straight face.
***
After they had finished eating and cleaning, Tresten and Selenor decided they would go home. Rylek and Lana settled down on the couch by the fireplace. Lana was working on a quilt she had been knitting while Rylek sat and stared into the fire. They were silent for awhile.
“I’m going to miss this,” Lana suddenly said.
Rylek kept his gaze on the fire. “What do you mean?” he asked, though he knew the answer.
“You know,” she said. “All of…this. The spontaneous group meals, the bantering back and forth, you and me just sitting here by the fire. It’s not going to be the same when we go to the University.”
“We’ll still be together.”
Lana shook her head. “It won’t be the same, and you know it. Our schedules will interfere with each other’s, and we’ll probably be lucky to all get together once or twice a week. Especially with you and Tresten wanting to be in the Academy. You know how isolated it is from the rest of the school. Surely you remember what dad told you.”
“Of course I remember.”
“There’s just not much time left with the four of us being our own little group. And it’s all I’ve ever known. I guess I’m a little scared, that’s all.”
Rylek finally took his eyes off the fire and looked at his sister. She was a fiercely strong person who put up good appearances of being fearless to those who did not know her well. But now she had come out from behind her façade, and a sorrowful fear marred her face. He placed his hand on the back of her head. “Tresten and I were sort of talking about that earlier today, in a round-about way,” he said. “But you and I both know that we at least are coming back here once we’re done with school and I’m finished with my service. This is my home, and I want to use all of my training to help keep this place safe.”
“You’ve said that before,” she said. “But I have to know: safe from what?”
He swirled the question around in his head. Why was he so paranoid? In all of their lives there had not even been a hint of outside danger, and yet he felt he was somehow called to protect Calm from some vague unforeseen future foe. He faked his answer. “Safe from bruised egos that fail to admit defeat,” he said.
Lana laughed. “You failed miserably tonight.”
“Nah, he’s not so bad,” Rylek laughed uneasily. “Besides, I think all the extra bread helped.”
They sat silently for a few more minutes.
“What do you think he’s going to do once he’s done with his service?” she suddenly asked.
He did not like to think about it. “I have no idea. And I’m not certain he knows either. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed in Maeon Plenneth since apparently everything is there. Regardless, I don’t think he’s going to return here. He’s always been so eager to see what’s beyond the mountains.”
“I think you’re right.
“To do what? To do what we were supposed to do?” Tresten asked.
“I just don’t see how you can complain about food when it’s your own fault we’re eating so late,” Rylek said between mouthfuls.
“It’s a necessary conflict of interests.”
Rylek shook his head in disbelief. “Still trying to win at something, huh? Well, what goes around comes back around and bites you in the stomach, apparently.” he said.
Selenor looked at Lana. “Uh-oh! Looks like we know who won their little game tonight,” she said.
Lana smiled and stood up from the table. She picked up the bowl filled with bread, walked over to Tresten, and placed another roll on his plate. “Some bread to sop up your pride, good sir?” she asked with a snobbish formal air.
Selenor erupted into a fit of giggles. Rylek looked quickly down at his plate to hide any smile that might be attempting to crack on his face.
Tresten paused for a few seconds, and then took the entire bread bowl. “I require a lot of sopping,” he said with a straight face.
***
After they had finished eating and cleaning, Tresten and Selenor decided they would go home. Rylek and Lana settled down on the couch by the fireplace. Lana was working on a quilt she had been knitting while Rylek sat and stared into the fire. They were silent for awhile.
“I’m going to miss this,” Lana suddenly said.
Rylek kept his gaze on the fire. “What do you mean?” he asked, though he knew the answer.
“You know,” she said. “All of…this. The spontaneous group meals, the bantering back and forth, you and me just sitting here by the fire. It’s not going to be the same when we go to the University.”
“We’ll still be together.”
Lana shook her head. “It won’t be the same, and you know it. Our schedules will interfere with each other’s, and we’ll probably be lucky to all get together once or twice a week. Especially with you and Tresten wanting to be in the Academy. You know how isolated it is from the rest of the school. Surely you remember what dad told you.”
“Of course I remember.”
“There’s just not much time left with the four of us being our own little group. And it’s all I’ve ever known. I guess I’m a little scared, that’s all.”
Rylek finally took his eyes off the fire and looked at his sister. She was a fiercely strong person who put up good appearances of being fearless to those who did not know her well. But now she had come out from behind her façade, and a sorrowful fear marred her face. He placed his hand on the back of her head. “Tresten and I were sort of talking about that earlier today, in a round-about way,” he said. “But you and I both know that we at least are coming back here once we’re done with school and I’m finished with my service. This is my home, and I want to use all of my training to help keep this place safe.”
“You’ve said that before,” she said. “But I have to know: safe from what?”
He swirled the question around in his head. Why was he so paranoid? In all of their lives there had not even been a hint of outside danger, and yet he felt he was somehow called to protect Calm from some vague unforeseen future foe. He faked his answer. “Safe from bruised egos that fail to admit defeat,” he said.
Lana laughed. “You failed miserably tonight.”
“Nah, he’s not so bad,” Rylek laughed uneasily. “Besides, I think all the extra bread helped.”
They sat silently for a few more minutes.
“What do you think he’s going to do once he’s done with his service?” she suddenly asked.
He did not like to think about it. “I have no idea. And I’m not certain he knows either. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he stayed in Maeon Plenneth since apparently everything is there. Regardless, I don’t think he’s going to return here. He’s always been so eager to see what’s beyond the mountains.”
“I think you’re right.
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